Qualcomm Inc. co-founder Irwin Jacobs once revealed that early advice to pursue hotel management rather than engineering did not alter the course of his career.
Early Academic Advice That Almost Changed His Path
In a 2011 conversation, Jacobs recalled that after graduating from high school in 1950, he was interested in math and science, but a guidance counselor urged him to consider hotel management at Cornell University, Forbes reported.
Instead, Jacobs said his exposure to engineering during college redirected his future.
“I was always interested in math and science,” he noted, adding that Cornell showed him how technology could reshape the world.
Cornell University And The Engineering Turning Point
At Cornell, Jacobs said the school’s flexibility allowed him to switch into electrical engineering and join a co-op program that alternated between classroom theory and hands-on work at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories.
He credited this structure with helping him connect academic concepts to real-world applications and reinforcing his belief that technological change creates opportunity rather than risk.
Linkabit And A Strategy Of Bold Innovation
After teaching at MIT and UC San Diego, Jacobs co-founded Linkabit, a defense and communications firm that spawned more than 100 spinoff companies.
He said the company focused on “substantial changes that might open a new market,” quickly moving from consulting into building hardware, including early microprocessor-based satellite systems.
He later retired from the company, but that retirement did not last long. “I retired from Linkabit in 1985, but I quickly found retirement was not sufficiently stimulating.”
From Retirement To Qualcomm Founder
In 1985, he co-founded Qualcomm, driven by a belief in wireless and digital communications.
Qualcomm now has a market capitalization of about $253.85 billion, while Forbes estimates Jacobs’ net worth at $1.2 billion.
After retiring from Qualcomm’s board in 2012, Jacobs turned much of his attention to philanthropy.
A Giving Pledge signatory, he donated $100 million to support the San Diego Symphony and more than $220 million to UC San Diego.
In 2013, he and his wife, Joan, pledged $133 million to establish the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute on New York’s Roosevelt Island.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Jeremy Walter on Shutterstock.com
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